Do you know Makuzu Ware and Mr. MIYAGAWA Kozan I (1842 – 1916) who is the founder and ceramist of Makuzu Kiln?
MIYAGAWA Kozan I was born in Kyoto as the fourth son of MIYAGAWA Chozo who was also ceramist. Kozan I took over his father’s workshop, but moved to Yokohama later and established Makuzu Kiln in 1871. Makuzu Ware first presented in the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876, and gained the bronze medal. This great success led to worldwide fame for Makuzu Ware, and thereafter the majority of the works were exported.
The workshop had been maintained by his successors even after his death. However, it was destroyed and many artisans died by air raid in 1945 during WWII. After some effort of re-establishing the workshop, it was finally abandoned.
As the works of Makuzu Ware were mostly exported in those days, a few museums in Japan have comprehensive collection of them. Makuzu Ware Museum in Yokohama is one of them.
Makuzu Ware Museum: http://kozan-makuzu.com/kozan.html (Japanese)
Access: Tokyo (local train 0:25) Yokohama (walk 0:10) @
Open on Saturday and Sunday only. Admission:￥500 for adult. If you are a group of more than seven people, it may open by request in advance for at least four days.
The exterior of the museum
The entrance to the exhibition rooms.
The first room.
The second room.
The entrance of main room.
The main exhibition room.
Some of the works of Makuzu Ware.
(Remarks: All of the photos in this blog were taken under the permission of the museum staff.)
Useful websites:
Video on Makuzu Ware Museum (You tube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE6UZoF6jM8
Yokohama Official Visitor’s Guide: http://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-to-do/miyagawa-kozan-makuzu-ware-museum/
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